Second Phone Session on November 8: Following the trend: E-verify and Electronic, Verification Systems
e. E-verify
i. Advantages and disadvantages
ii. Employer responsibilities
iii. Federal contractors
iv. Self-verification and the IMAGE program
f. Electronic Verification systems
i. I-9 software. Is it worth it?
ii. Best practices to make the most of electronic verification systems

Third Phone Session on December 6: Notice of Inspection, now what?
g. It's a balance: safeguard objections vs. working with the government
h. Constructive knowledge concerns and no-match letters
i. Notice of Technical Violations
j. Notice of Suspect Documents
k. Notice of Discrepancies
l. Impact of Mitigation
m. Preservation of rights
n. Limiting the Expansion of an Investigation

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Addie Hogan (Discussion Leader) has been dedicated to the practice of corporate immigration law since 2000. She represents and manages a range of corporate clients, from start-up companies to Fortune 500 technology clients, advising them on all aspects of U.S. business immigration law, including nonimmigrant work visas and applications for permanent residence. She also advises companies on general immigration policies, planning, and I-9 compliance. Before joining Pearl Law Group, Addie managed the immigration practice at a multi-practice firm. While attending law school, Addie volunteered at The Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center (KGACLC) where she assisted low-income residents obtain immigration advice. Addie continues to be involved in pro-bono legal work, assisting both juveniles and domestic violence victims in obtaining proper immigration status, and volunteering at local naturalization workshops.

Nicole Kersey is an associate in the Atlanta office where she assists in the practice of all aspects of immigration and nationality law, including the processing of E, H-1B, H-2B, L, O, and TN nonimmigrant petitions. Ms. Kersey also assists clients in obtaining lawful permanent residence in the U.S. through applications for labor certification, petitions for outstanding researchers and aliens of extraordinary ability, and through international manager petitions. She has experience with applications for political asylum and family-based nonimmigrant and immigrant petitions. Ms. Kersey is a member of the Seyfarth Workforce Authorization Team (SWATeam) and has extensive training in the workforce authorization compliance area. She provides advice relating to I-9 compliance, corporate best practices during the hiring process, and emerging Federal, state, and local workforce authorization laws and regulations. Ms. Kersey is conversationally fluent in the Spanish language.

Avalyn Langemeier is a partner at FosterQuan, LLP. She's fluent in Spanish and English. She assists employers, including companies, universities, and hospitals, as well as physicians, nurses, researchers and professors, executives, teachers, and other professionals in obtaining work visas and permanent residence. Advises employers and human resource professionals on worksite enforcement and conducts I-9 audits and training workshops.

Mehreen Shah or Mona Shah as she is more commonly known. Born in the UK, Mona graduated from the University of Northumbria in England in 1990. Mona was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England & Wales in 1993, and was admitted to the New York Bar and the United States Federal Bar in 1997. After moving to New York in 1995, she established her own law firm in New York City in 1997. The firm handles legal matters for clients worldwide. Her firm also has a London affiliate office which allows for the representation of European, Middle-Eastern and South Asian clients. Mona has over 17 years of legal experience, with more than 13 years concentrated in U.S. immigration and family law and litigation. Her firm, Mona Shah and Associates, represents individual, high profile and corporate clients from all over the world. Mona is highly proficient and experienced in EB-5 law and practice, and is the author of a forthcoming book for investors on the EB-5 laws and procedures. She has hands-on experience setting up and establishing EB-5 Regional Centers. Mona was also one of the 4 original founders of New York City Regional Center and the only Immigration Attorney on the team. Mona also founded the New York Immigration Fund, RC; her firm, Mona Shah & Associates, exclusively handled the Times Square Hotel project. Mona Shah & Associates handles the EB-5 Investor petitions for multiple regional centers. Mona has authored and published numerous articles including EB-5 related articles. She has written and spoken extensively on immigration law. She is often featured as a guest speaker at legal seminars and on local television news programs.

Julie Pearl, former Deputy Attorney General in California, Julie Pearl founded her award-winning firm in 1995, along with Alan Nelson, the former head of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service under Presidents Reagan and Bush Sr. Within three years, she developed ImmigrationTracker, the immigration management system now used by over 75% of top immigration law firms who buy case management software (according to IndUS Business Journal and American Lawyer Media), as well as many Fortune 1000 companies, hospitals and universities.
Julie won a Cisco Systems Growing with Technology Award (Customer Service Category) and was profiled in the book The Moral Advantage, Getting Ahead in Business by Doing the Right Thing (Stanford University Project on Good Works) for applying the “Golden Rule” to her clients’ needs. She has authored several legal publications, including chapters and articles on U.S. and global immigration topics and corporate compliance. She also contributed to Inside the Minds: Leading Executives on Creating a Leadership Plan, Evaluating Risks, and Managing Cyclical Growth.
She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of California, all Federal courts and the United States Court of International Trade. A founding member of the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers (ABIL) and former Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Immigration Subcommittee, Julie has spoken on immigration topics to dozens of human resources, legal, accounting, and other business and professional organizations. Julie ranked #2 in the American Bar Association’s Client Counseling Competition (Combined Finals for Australia, Canada, U.K. and U.S.) She has lived in five countries and speaks three languages.

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